How often should I top up my prepayment meter?

The frequency of top-ups will depend on the size of your house (and how many people live there) and whether you are a low/medium/high energy user. We’d always advise keeping a close eye on the credit left on the meter to avoid running out. Even if you’re away from the house for a prolonged period of time, there needs to be enough credit on the meter to cover a daily standing charge and any debt repayments. The meter should also have enough credit to cover any energy used by appliances that are kept on while you’re away. If there isn’t enough credit, you run the risk of these appliances switching off.

How do I top up a prepayment meter?

You do this by adding money to a key or card, which is then inserted into the meter to transfer the credit ready to use. The balance of the meter is then reduced according to the amount of energy you use, the daily standing charge and any debt you may be paying off. When the balance of the meter gets low, you’ll need to apply more credit to maintain supply to your property.

How do I top up a Smart prepayment meter?

Make sure to check your credit regularly to avoid running out. You can top up your account at any Pay Point location (usually at your local shop) or by calling us on 0330 094 5802. We’ll also send you an annual statement, so you can see:

Your energy usage over the last 12 months

The payments you’ve made

Your current account balance

There may be a 30 minute delay before your credit is added to your gas meter.

What happens if I lose my prepayment card / key or it stops working?

Please take good care of your top up cards/key as there’s a charge of £5 to cover the cost of replacing them. If you do need a new one, please call us on 0330 094 5802.

Can you use someone else’s electricity key or gas card to top up your prepayment meter?

No, your key/card will only work in your meter. It’ll show how much credit you have left, how much energy has been used and what the current meter reading is. If you use someone else’s key or card, you run the risk of losing any credit balance you may have had on the meter and losing supply to both your meter and your friend’s meter.

What should you do if a door-to-door seller offers you prepayment cards?

There have been reports of people trying to sell prepayment top-up devices or credit, door to door. You should never buy credit or a top-up device from a doorstep seller. Always use the card or key provided by us and always top up at an authorised seller such as Paypoint or Payzone.

I’ll be away from home – do I need to add credit to my meter before I go?

If you’re going away, you still need to have credit on your meter. There must be enough to cover:

The standing charge

Any debt being collected by your meter

Any energy used while you’re away

If you don't keep your meter topped up with credit, you may go off supply while you're away. You will need to re-pay any outstanding amount plus £1 to get back on supply.

Emergency credit

We don't want you to ever be without energy so all our prepayment meters come with 'emergency credit' built in.

As the name suggests, it's for use in an emergency only, if you can't top-up before your meter runs out of credit. You can activate it directly from your meter. The amount of emergency credit you use will need to be paid back next time you top up, plus an additional £1 to get back on supply.